Rodent repelling binding cord incorporating a nitroso-aniline stabilized by an organic acid



RODENT REPELLING BINDING CORD INCORPO- RATING A NKTROSO-ANILHNE STARELKZED BY AN ORGANIC ACID Pranas Jucai'tis, Chicago, lll., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Original application December 23, 1954, Serial No. 477,413. Divided and this application June 14, 1956, Serial No. 591,506

6 Claims. c1. ran-4s This invention relates to rodent repellents. More in particular this invention relates to cord or twine, having rodent repelling characteristics, for use in binding materials which may have some attraction to rodents.

For example, in the binding of hay, straw or grain and the like, the agricultural industry has experienced much damage due to rats or mice cutting the binding twine or cord which not only results in loss of products but also substantially increases the labor necessary in handling broken bales.

The prime object of this invention is to provide 21 treated cord or twine having the property of effectively repelling rodents from attacking the cord or twine for long periods of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cord or twine treated to impart effective rodent repelling properties which is resistant to mold deterioration and does not harm the product bound by the cord or twine.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cord or twine treated to impart effective rodent repelling properties wherein the repellent agents are suitable for incorporation into ordinary cord or twine manufacturing operations.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the appended claims.

As an approach in the developments of a solution to the problem many factors were considered in addition to the usual cost considerations, ease of manufacture, transportation, use and handling as well as resistance to fungous deterioration.

Generally speaking rodenticides do not'present a solution to the problem for even though such rodenticides are useful in causing death to rodents, death usually occurs after the damage to the twine or cord bound material. The objective is therefore to repel the rodent either by the sense of taste or odor from causing damage in the first instance as distinguished from causing death after the occurrence of damage. Therefore much consideration was given to the psychological characteristics of rodents, particularly that of rats and mice. It is not known to any degree of exactness as to the underlying cause or causes which motivates rats or mice to cut binder cord. In developing suitable means for testing various compounds or compositions to evaluate statistically their respective repellency the following psychological factors were considered.

(1) Necessity for abrading material for grinding continuously growing incisor teeth.

(2) Heredity.

(3) Hunger motivation.

(4) Thirst.

(5) Chewing for pleasure. (6) Claustrophobia.

(7) Sex motivation.

(8) Ordinary mischievousness. (9 Age.

(10) Observation.

Having in mind the above factors an experimental test cage was designed and built specifically for the testmg and statistically evaluating of baler cord treated with rodent repelling compositions. The dimensions of the cage are 6' x l x 1' comprising six compartments each 1 x 1' x 1 connected together serially with a partition separating each compartment from its adjacent compartment. Each partition between adjacent compartments contains a pair of doors held in closed position by means of springs attached to the cord under test. The cord under test is held under tension by a weight and is positioned to be completely accessible to the animal. Thus when the animal cuts the cord the weight drops and the spring opens va door between two compartments. The sides and top of the entire cage are made of transparent material for full observation. The bottom of each compartment is made of wire screen. Along the top of the cage are fluorescent lights which serve to obscure the observer from the animal and to provide illumination for photography. The entrance and exit doors are operated manually while the doors of the five partitions are operated by action of the animal on the cord. Electric timing devices were connected to the apparatus to record the cutting action of the animals to facilitate statistical evaluation of the test results.

The working hypothesis for testing repellents was to train rats to cut binder cord through hunger motivation. Thus if rats were first trained to cut untreated cord through associating the act of cutting with a reward of food, then if the rats refused to cut a repellent treated cord, or at least were deterred from immediately cutting the cord, a degree of repellency exists. Rats selected for training quickly learned that if they cut the cord a doorway to the next compartment opened wherein they would find a small morsel of food as well as another cord positioned for subsequent cutting admitting them to the following compartment, and so on. Since each partition is provided with two doors, one of the associated cords may be repellent treated giving the animal a choice of two cords to out. Thus neither, one, or both cords under test in a selected compartment could be treated with a repellent.

It was found that rats trained as outlined above became so highly motivated that they would out most cords treated with prospective repellent compounds or compositions, although in some instances their cutting speed was markedly reduced while in other instances the animals refused to cut the cord at all. Also it was found that a given repellent may be an excellent repellent with respect to one group of rats While it was only mildly effective against another group. This suggested that a good repellent may consist of more than one ingredient.

Now it is apparent that if highly motivated animals refuse, or at least are markedly deterred, to cut the treated cord, then wild and untrained animals would not in all probability cut such cord. Tests with wild and untrained rats indicated that such supposition is confirmed in fact.

In testing twine or cord treated with numerous compounds or compositions it was found that when cord was treated with up to 5% by weight of an aryl compound of the nitroso group and particularly the substitution Patented May 3, 1960 products thereof where the substitution radical is in the para position with reference to the NO group associated with the aryl ring were excellent rodent repellents. Briefly stated the compounds referred to are the amino substitution products of nitrosobenzene including the salts thereof. The most effective compounds found in this class were those compounds in which the substituted radical consisted of an amino group and the salts thereof. In the case of the amino compounds it was found advantageous to add substantially a stoichiometric quantity of an organic acid to stabilize the amine from deterioration by carbon dioxide in the air as well as improving aging characteristics.

In general the invention may be described as a cord or twine having incorporated therein a rodent repelling compound having the following general formulae:

where one of X, Y and Z represents a radical selected from the group consisting of an amino and an amino salt, the remaining two of said X, Y and Z being hydrogen.

By way of illustration the following specific example of the invention is described which proved to be an excellent rodent repellent having good aging characteristics.

Example 1 Binder cord treated to contain up to 5% by weight of a composition consisting of p-nitrosodimethyl-aniline stabilized by the addition of substantially a stoichiometric equivalent of an organic acid such as, for example, butyric acid, salicylic acid, naphthenic acids, and the like.

In the manufacture of twine or cord, particularly that of sisal base, an oil (generally referred to as twine oil) of light viscosity is usually used. The repellent compound or composition may conveniently be dissolved or dispersed in the oil so that uniform disposition of the repellent on the cord or twine is obtained. As an alternative finished cord may be treated with the repellent by a suitable impregnating or coating operation. In the latter method a suitable vehicle may be necessary in some instances. However in commercial scale twine and cord production it was found most convenient and economical to add the repellent in the oil required for cord manufacture.

While specific examples of the invention are disclosed herein, the invention is not limited solely thereto as the precise proportions of the materials utilized may be varied and other members of this class of rodent repellents may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A binder cord having incorporated therein an effective amount of a rodent repelling compound of the following formula where one of X, Y and Z represent an amino radical and the remaining two of said X, Y and Z are hydrogen; said compound being stabilized with substantially a stoichiometric equivalent of an organic acid capable of stabilizing said compound against deterioration by carhon dioxide.

2. A binder cord according to claim 1 wherein the substitution radical is dimethyl-amino forming p-nitroso dimethylaniline.

3. A binder cord having incorporated therein an effective amount of a rodent repelling compound consisting of p-nitrosodimethylaniline stabilized with substantially a stoichiometric equivalent of naphthenic acid.

4. A binder cord having incorporated therein up to 5% of a rodent repelling compound of the following formula References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,938,999 Cox Dec. 12, 1933 1,994,891 Ludeman Mar. 19, 1935 2,001,108 Parker May 14, 1935 2,151,651 Ludwig Mar. 21, 1939 2,222,639 Pirk Nov. 26, 1940 2,315,064 Littman Mar. 30, 1943 2,578,595 Ralston et al. Dec. 11, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Wilson et al.: Organic Chem. in Pharmacy, 1949, pp.

Belleck et al.: in Natl Res. Councils Relationship Between Chem. Structure and Rat Repellency, pp. 49, 53, 56, 57, 59 and 130. 

1. A BINDER CORD HAVING INCORPORATED THEREIN AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF A RODENT REPELLING COMPOUND OF THE FOLLOWING FORMULA 